The Apple Tree
Posted: October 13, 2026This past weekend, I had the opportunity to wander in one of my favorite places – the apple orchard on our family property in Mackinaw City. The orchard is over 100 years old. As a child, I used to like to imagine that johnny Appleseed himself had planted it!
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Castle Church
Posted: October 6, 2026The photo above was taken in All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany. It is also known as the “Castle Church” upon whose doors Martin Luther fastened his 95 Theses. On the last evening of the Lutheran World Federation’s Retreat of Newly Elected Leaders, our small group gathered for worship. Our interpreter, a young man from Mexico named Elias, served as our organist. Throughout the retreat he often accompanied us as we sang, but up until this particular evening, it had been on pianos in small chapels.
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Stumbling Stones
Posted: September 29, 2026These are called “stumbling stones,” in German, “Stolpersteine.” They are 4” by 4” concrete cubes topped with a brass plate, commemorating victims of Nazi persecution. They can be found throughout Europe, but mostly in Germany. They are placed at the homes of people who were murdered or taken by the Nazis. I find their placement particularly powerful. Rather than names on a memorial in some central place in the village or city, these signs at the entrance to a home remind us that these people existed in everyday life, at home with a family, in a neighborhood. The two stumbling stones in the picture just happened to be right next to the hostel where we were staying in Wittenberg. I admire the Germans for having the courage to face their sin in regard to what happened during the Nazi regime and to do it in a way that is so public and so integrated into daily life.
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All Colors Are Beautiful
Posted: September 23, 2026After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. Revelation 7:9
One of my favorite things to do in my ministry as a pastor in Christ’s church has been to take youth to various places for service and learning trips. Over the years, we’ve been to faraway places: A first Nations Cree village in northern Manitoba, New Orleans and Houston, the Nez Perce reservation in western Idaho, Washington DC, western South Dakota and Minnesota. Sometimes we have stayed closer to home: Grand Rapids, Dayton, and Mackinaw City.
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Bridge Walk Bump
Posted: September 8, 2026“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.” — Jesus in Matthew 18:15
Oh church, did we hear that on Sunday? Jesus knows exactly what we need to hear. This idea applies to any of the groups that we are in: church, family, soccer teams, house mates, friend groups, any place where two or three are gathered. If we have something that needs to be worked out with another person, because of what that person did or said, the healthiest, fairest thing to do is to go directly to that person. (**Disclaimer: there are instances of abuse or imbalances of power when we may need to go to a trusted person for help.)
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Back to School
Posted: September 1, 2026“Back to school” — that phrase elicits a whole range of emotions in a large percentage of our population. Being a person who always LOVED school (photo is third-grade Julie, ready to head off to Mackinaw City Elementary), the phrase and this time of year bring feelings of excitement. Even though it has been quite a while since I have been a student and a few years now since our daughter has been a student, this time of the year seems to hold so much possibility. (I will say that the church program year which starts again after the summer lull may also have something to do with this.) What will we learn this year? What adventures will come upon us? Who will we gain as new companions along the way?
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Abundance
Posted: August 25, 2026Earlier this summer we heard the parable of the sower and Jesus telling us that the seed that falls on good soil, multiplies 100, 60, 30 times from what was sown. As a gardener, I like to stop and think about the abundance of the act of planting a seed. An apple tree grows from a single seed and produces 10,000 to 30,000 apples over its lifetime. Each of those apples will contain an average of 5 seeds. That single tree has the potential of producing 50,000 more trees!
Read more →Autumn Leadership Event (ALE)
Posted: August 20, 2026Registration for our Autumn Leadership Event is now open! Rostered leaders are invited to join us for days of learning, connection, conversation, and fellowship in Mackinaw City, October 18-21 at […]
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Sunflowers
Posted: August 18, 2026O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you.
As the day rises to meet the sun.
These are the opening words to morning prayer in one of the devotional resources I use. It’s a great prayer for the beginning of the day, asking God to awaken us to God’s presence as we step into the first sun-lit moments of our waking hours.
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Lutheran Disaster Response: Michigan At Work
Posted: August 11, 2026The North/West Lower Michigan Synod is partnered with Lutheran Disaster Response Nationally and is also a member of the Michigan Volunteer Agencies Active in Disaster. This is the agency that works directly with the Michigan State Police, Office of Emergency Management and the County Emergency Managers, to provide assistance when a disaster happens.
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